Brightening up a PC1

[RCM78]

I got this guitar for X-mas and have been playing it just about everyday since. For comparison I have a killer Peavey Wolfgang, Ash body maple neck Strat, and a few other floyd equipped guitars.

It became evident that compared to my Wolfgang and Strat the PC1 had a darker sound. Even darker then my Hamer Chappy that has a mahogany body, set maple neck, and ebony board. I've read lots of complaints about the bridge pickup on this guitar but acoustically it also sounds dark so I left the pickup alone.

I installed a 42oz brass block, and a Tremel-No from Floyd Upgrades dot com.

After spending some time getting the setup just right, the guitar sounds much better. The string separation is much more noticeable, I would even say that this guitar is bright. It still has that nice smooth tone associated with mahogany, but the response and attack are much improved.

The Tremel-No is also a nice upgrade. I dont care for the way a floating bridge isolates the strings from the wood. Most of my floyd guitars are blocked in some way. This time I tried the Tremel-No. Very easy to install and set up. As soon as I strummed the first chord I could feel the wood resonating. The guitar feels more alive now and sustains naturally. A very big improvement over the stock instrument.

So if your wondering how to brighten up your PC1 or any floyd equipped guitar a Brass block might be just what you need...

[jacksonpc1]

The Brass Blocks are a great add, the best I ever heard a PC1 sound was with a Brass Block & a Seymour Duncan 78' model pickup. This combo makes the guitar sound incredible.

[bainelaker]

Ooh, good info - I was thinking of ways earlier today to get my soloist a little brighter. I'll have to look into the brass upgrade. Was the installation easy?

[RCM78]

Ooh, good info - I was thinking of ways earlier today to get my soloist a little brighter. I'll have to look into the brass upgrade. Was the installation easy?

It's very easy if your familiar with disassembly and reassembly of a Floyd Rose bridge. You'll need to intonate the guitar when your done too.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

You have to remove all of the saddles and everything, so your intonation will need to be set again when you are done.

Also because the way the springs mount you will probably need to re-set the spring tension to get the bridge to float right.

But yeah, it's not hard to do if you pay attention to where the pieces go and all that.

[rjohnstone]

The issue is the Super 3.
It's a dark sounding pickup.
I dig it, but it works well with my rig.

Swap it out (carefully, it uses PCB connectors, not solder) with what ever suits you.

[RCM78]

The issue is the Super 3.
It's a dark sounding pickup.
I dig it, but it works well with my rig.

Swap it out (carefully, it uses PCB connectors, not solder) with what ever suits you.

Theres no more issue. I like the guitar the way it is now...

[rjohnstone]

Theres no more issue. I like the guitar the way it is now...

I'm not awake.. I just reread your post and had a "duh" moment.

['63-Strat]

Now you've got me thinking about my SL2H hmm. I was thinking of putting a tremolno on mine anyways b/c I rarely use the floyd. I really like the PC1s just wish they offered a model with chrome hardware instead of gold.

[The Rossness]

The Brass Blocks are a great add, the best I ever heard a PC1 sound was with a Brass Block & a Seymour Duncan 78' model pickup. This combo makes the guitar sound incredible.

I have the 78' in my Charvel Star. Bright is an understatement for this pickup.

[jacksonpc1]

What is the body made of on your Charvel? Is it Alder? The 78 is bright if installed in an Ash or Alder body in my opinion. The PC1 sounds great because of the Mahogany/maple body.

I have the 78' in my Charvel Star. Bright is an understatement for this pickup.

[jacksonpc1]

It is a easy fix Bro!.....the hardest part is the intonation, but if you have experience it is a gravy job. The Big brass block really helps with sustain also.

Ooh, good info - I was thinking of ways earlier today to get my soloist a little brighter. I'll have to look into the brass upgrade. Was the installation easy?

[ML430]

I also thought my PC1 was dark/fat sounding. My guitar actually had a DiMarzio Evo 1 in it from the previous owner. I swapped out the pup for a Motor City Pickup "Torque" and the guitar sounds more open/brighter. Be careful w/swapping out pups though. I ruined the connection on my by accident. The pups are attached with what is called a molex connector. They're used on pc boards and are kind of hard to source. I'm going to try the block change when I get time and money.